Happy New Year!

Thank you 2013 and hello 2014! I hope you guys are doing well while celebrating the new year with your loved ones. Me, my brother and my dad lit up some firecrackers earlier to welcome the year with a bang! My year ended pretty well because I got to spend time with Paul. Of course I ate a lot of delish foods with my family and now we feel bloated. :p

2013 was a good year and I know 2014 will be much better! So bring it on!

In line with the new year, I want to announce that this blog will be changed soon.

"Elliewonderwall" has been a good one, an online diary and I pretty much enjoyed sharing lots of personal stuff in here. However, I am now shifting to a more, let's say, informative blog. This new blog of mine will be a mix of my personal life + movie/book/gadget reviews + food trips + travel escapades + of course my literary works. To sum it up, this will be a whole lot of a bigger blog and I will really work hard for it to be up real real soon. I'm excited about this!

Come January 10, http://elliewonderwall.blogspot.com will be down temporarily. To my avid readers, I will make sure to send an email on the new URL and as well as the copies of my stories. I will also post it on Instagram and Twitter. The name is undecided yet but the the setup is ready.

Until then, here's my first selfie of the year haha. Be safe guys and I wish you good health and happiness all year round!

Merry Christmas!

Busy days, busy days! But Merry Christmas my dears! I hope y'all are having a blast! I may not be able to blog much until my birthday next year and I'm definitely sure by that time, I'll have lots of backlogs to catch up on. Anyway, thank you for the awesome 2013! I started this blog late 2012 but 2013 really made it colorful in the best way. Sharing my life with you virtually is just like talking to friends in real life. Thank you most especially to those who have sent emails of appreciation, ahh words can't express how thankful I am for people like you guys. So until my next entry, here are quick selfies of me and my very behave and happy dog, Coco. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Xx.

Happy Anniversary, Love!

I should say, I had the best weekend ever! It was well-spent with the one I love and I know we’d definitely do it all over again. It started Thursday, the day of our 1^st anniversary and we both decided we go to Enchanted Kingdom. Both of us are not first timers but I would say it’s like my first time still since before, I wasn’t able to ride the extreme ones. Thankfully, Paul isn’t a scaredy-cat and is game on riding thrilling rides. He made sure that our experience would be memorable for me so even if he’s had bad and traumatic experiences before (his retainers went off), without hesitation, he gave in to my request. My boyfriend is also very much of a stage boyfriend. Well, he pretty much loves taking pictures of me everywhere! Everywhere I tell you. It’s me who refuses and he gonna act up like a mother forcing her child to smile for the camera. I love him for all that he is though, including that.

So after we ate, I asked him if we could ride the Wheel of Fate (ferris wheel) so we could get a nice view from the top while relaxing. But actually, I said that so I could give my gift. You guys know me right? I’m the cheesy type. Extremely maybe. I got Paul a scrapbook and a shirt. The scrapbook contains some receipts, tags, stickers, Starbucks sleeves, exerpts from the poems I made for him, and pictures of us for the entire year we’ve been together. I made sure that we took pictures every month so I could post it on the scrapbook and voila! Here you go:

When I was about to give my gift, Mr. Romantic here had an even better idea! He always has better surprise ideas than me. When we were situated on top of the ferris wheel, he asked me to take a picture of him using his camera. I tried my best to get the best shot and while I was adjusting the focus, he handed me over a box wrapped in a very cute design. It was his gift! Of course I did not know he’d give me one! I actually thought I was the only one who has a gift to give but it turned out he’s planned for this as much as I have. I immediately gave him my gift and we both were just uttering “aww…di naman kailangan eh” (you shouldn’t have, it’s not necessary) as we opened our gifts. He was giddy as he reminisced those days while looking at the pictures, he said he didn’t expected such gift. I was stunned as well when I opened the box. Like come on! My boyfriend got me the most beautiful gold watch ever! And…my favorite lipstick! Glad he approves of the color! He’s such a sweetheart! I love his gift so much that I immediately wore it the moment I got it out of its box.

Then again, it’s not the fancy gifts and sweet mementos that matters most. When we’re up there, opening our gifts, kissing and greeting each other, what really touched me is that at that very moment, we were celebrating 12 months of us. 12 months of happiness, 12 months of petty fights, 12 months of being the best of friends, 12 months of being partners in crime, 12 months of joking around and pretending we’re foreigners (hell, do we even look like one? Haha) who can’t speak English well, 12 months of craziness, 12 months of serious talks, 12 months of everything one can ever imagine… 12 months down, forever to go.

Well our day might have ended but it didn’t stop there as I was with my love the entire weekend! We watched Catching Fire, played billiards, went to Divisoria, shopped, slept a lot, ate a lot, watched movies with his family, washed and bathed Zooey and Simba and then ate again. Haha! I would definitely say it’s the best week ever! It ended well and even though I still don’t want it to end, I definitely know we will be doing it all over again. When I was about to go home, his mom stopped me to give me a little gift that they got for me, it’s a very precious Mama Mary figurine that’s blessed in Antipolo. It’s just the sweetest!

 A relationship will really get through anything if God is in between it. Paul has been and will always be my answered prayer and I know that with each passing day, our love will grow all the way.

Stronger

I could perfectly recall how you called my phone

That very moment when I was alone

How you said you wanted to see me so you came

When I turned to see, I knew things will be never be the same

How we ended up on a pizza house that very night

I felt close to you and suddenly things became alright

We weren't together yet but I felt the urge

I knew a hug would explain it all, we were both on the verge

How about that day when you called in sick

I was clueless and unaware that you had this trick

You said you missed me, so you came to pick me up

You made me realize that what I have is more than enough

Ever since then, things had gotten better

When I look at you, I always pray we'd end up forever

I want you to know how I see you through me

You're like the golden apple hidden on an old banana tree

It has been 12 months since that wonderful day

Still up to now, it never fails to blow me away

All I know is that you'll give me butterflies for the rest of our lives

Because we're strong and we both know that only the strong survives.

And We'll Never Be Royals

"That kind of lux just ain't for us, we crave a different kind of buzz."

Personalized Clothing

Hey guys! Before I continue with my anniversary post, here's a commercial first! So I think I've mentioned before on how my brother and I are super close right? We pretty much have the same interests and I still think he sees me as a boy. :p

Going back, we both love the series How I Met Your Mother, as in so much! We're just waiting for new episodes and while waiting, we like watching it all over again! We're that addicted! I also love Breaking Bad so much that it almost led me to studying deeper about narcotics, but of course it didn't happen. So my brother got this awesome personalized shirt about HIMYM so he asked me if I would also like one with a BB design. When we got the items, we were so surprised on how awesome they are!

I got a Heisenberg gray shirt while my brother got a Barney statement shirt that says "Whenever I am sad I stop being sad and be awesome instead", with the words "True story" at the back.

Here's a selfie of me with my badass shirt:

You wouldn't really find a lot of Breaking Bad merchandise here in the Philippines so it's awesome that there are fans out there who's went an extra mile of being a fan and created stuff like these. If you want to, check them out at Peace Generation Shirt on Facebook.

Xoxo,

Ellie

It was legen...wait for it...

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Black&&White

"Love me or hate me, either way, I'm on your mind." ;)

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The Best Thing About Me

"On a spinning ball in the middle of space, I love you from your toes to your face."

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Busy Saturday

Since I can't sleep yet due to the irritating noise of Zooey, I'll blog about my very busy yet happy and meaningful day. It started right when my team decided we go volunteer as re-packers at Villamor Air Base. As you all know, the Philippines has been struck by a very strong typhoon named Yolanda (Haiyan) recently and it crushed lots of parts of the Visayan region. On the bright side, help has been overflowing for the survivors and that's what we are most thankful of.

So going back to what I was saying, my team decided we volunteer after our shift. I usually get off work at 12 midnight so without any rest, we immediately proceed to VAB to help.

It was such a fun yet very tiring experience! We repacked rice, cans of cornd beef and sardines, coffee sachets and noodles. It was also nice to see that there were a lot who were willing to help.

It really was not an easy task. After the process of repacking, it would then be carried on to a truck that will ideally bring it to the survivors. I would say the entire pack is good for 2 days for the average sized family.

We packed for 5 hours and we were very tired but whenever you'd think of the people who are eagerly waiting for the stuff we're packing, then I say it's worth every pain and sweat.

HELP OUT AND DO YOUR PART. They accept walk-ins at Villamor Air Base, go to the gymnasium directly so you can help out.

After my very tiring morning, I had a chance to sleep for 4 hours so I took it and slept like a baby. But I had to wake up since Paul will be coming and will tag along Zooey. It's my turn to watch over our baby and I must say, it's just Day 1 and I feel like giving up already! Lol. But I'll just increase my patience and I'm sure everything will be fine. So going back, I made Mexican dinner for all of us and Paul and I played with our dogs the entire evening. Gosh, I have 4 dogs now! Here's a picture of my handsome love with my little pup Hunter:

So that's the end of my crazy day and I think I need to get some rest now before Zooey's tantrums would occur again. I remember Paul telling me it's a part of my #mommyduties! Haha.

Goodnight you guys! Happy weekend!

EllieXx

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2013

I know you're as excited as me when this is the topic! I can't wait for December 10 to come so we all can finally watch the television premiere of the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show! I am most excited because Taylor Swift was a part of it and boy, she nailed it! She could really pass as an angel! I can't wait to watch her perform and walk along the runway together with my other favorite angels. I googled (credits to celebsvenue.in) some pictures and I will share to you my favorite among all:

Candice was perfect! She deserved the honor of having to wear the million dollar bra. I mean come on just look at her, she's just perfect! I miss Miranda Kerr though. She'll always be my favorite angel.

Anyway, let's all stay tuned for this guys!

X

What Does The Fox Say?

Hey guys! I have been away for a long time since work was crazy and since I don't have anything that I could use to blog without using my iPad. But anyways, it will be up by next week and I fortunately found this Android app that does pretty much well with Blogger. So as promised, I'll show you pictures of our new baby, Zooey! Paul and I picked her up yesterday and man she is beautiful!
She's a bit naughty though but I know that with enough training, she'll be able to follow house rules. I'll be back with more updates, poems probably and stories to tell! Catch you all soon! X

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Colder Weather

I really love a cold weather. For me, it automatically means cuddling, hot chocolate sipping, all day snuggling in bed and having a marathon of How I Met Your Mother or Breaking Bad. It also equates to lazy days in pajamas and ramen! Oh how I love cold lazy days!
Recently, it's been very cold here in the Philippines. December is fast approaching and the gush of cold air kissing your cheek is a sign that Christmas is just around the corner. And we all love Christmas! But yesterday, a super typhoon locally known as 'Yolanda' (Haiyan) struck the Philippines. The maximum strength of sustained winds reaching up to 290 kph has led to a strom surge that struck Visayas and Mindanao. It pains me so much to see the people on TV looking and feeling hopeless about the situation and all they could do is just wait until the storm stops. I am a very emotional person to be honest. I'm easily struck by such events that it drives me to utmost sadness. But that won't be of much help so I'll just burst it into writing even though I promised to stay away for a while.
What distracted me the most was when my dad drove me up to Mckinley to get my laptop so I could just work at home due to the bad weather when the reporter on the radio said that the surge pounded Leyte so much that even palm trees are bent down to the ground!
I then remembered my colleague, Mac, whose family is in Leyte. Days before the typhoon struck, he was always busy contacting his loved ones and asking them of their condition. He was trying to be strong, trying to show his mom that there is nothing to be afraid of. But I know deep inside he is brittle. He is hurt. And if only it's possible, he wants to go to Leyte that very moment.
I am praying for his family back in Leyte, I am praying deeply for all the families who are experiencing such traumatic circumstance. My heart is with them and so are my thoughts.
My country and countrymen have experienced a full load of distressing events lately. From the Pork Barrel Scandal which clearly shows how dirty politics is in the Philippines, to the stand-off in Zamboanga which killed lives of civilians, to the numerous earthquakes being felt in the Visayan region which caused a lot of churches to collapse, to this destructive incident that would surely leave a lot of Filipinos homeless. My heart hurts as I write this blog post and I do hope that whoever might read this, will also find it in their hearts to help those who are in need.
I am knocking into your hearts to share any amount of cash to help the victims of this crisis. In our own little and silent way, we can help our fellow countrymen. They need our help.

Ways to Donate

Through PayPal
Through Xoom


Through Ushare - Credit Card, Online Banking, Megalink

Through GreenPeso - PayPal, Bancnet, GCash

Through Multiply

Through PayDollar

Cash or Check Donations

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Please send cash or check donations to the PRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine Red Cross. We can also arrange for donation pick-up.
We now accept cash donations for the Philippine Red Cross at any 7-11 store or Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop nationwide.
 

Bank Deposit

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Bank accounts for Donations
Banco De OroPeso: 00-453-0018647
Dollar: 10-453-0039482
MetrobankPeso: 151-3-041631228
Dollar: 151-2-15100218-2
Philippine National BankPeso: 3752 8350 0034
Dollar: 3752 8350 0042
Unionbank of the PhilippinesPeso: 1015 4000 0201
Dollar: 1315 4000 0090
All Check/Cash for the account of Philippine Red Cross (Swift Codes)
Banco De OroBNORPHMM
Bank of the Philippine IslandsBOPIPHMM
MetrobankMBTCPHMM
Philippine National Bank
-PNBMPHMM
Unionbank of the Philippines-UBPHPHMM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.

In-Kind Donation

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Local
Please send in-kind local donations to Philippine Red Cross - National Headquarters in Manila. We could also arrange for donation pick-up

International
1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PRC.
2. A letter of acceptance from PRC shall be sent back to the donor.
3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to Philippine Red Cross - National Headquarters c/o Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 1018, Philippines.

The PRC does not accept rotten, damaged, expired or decayed goods. Though we appreciate your generosity, PRC also discourages donations of old clothes as we have more than enough to go around.

SMS and G-Cash

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SMS
Text RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart)
G-Cash
Text DONATE<space>AMOUNT<space>4-digit M-PIN<space>REDCROSS to 2882
You can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000
Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

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Through your generosity, we can stand prepared for disasters. We appreciate your continuous and unwavering support. Thank you.
Email us: fundgeneration@redcross.org.ph
Call Hotline 143
or (+632) 527.0000
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Bonifacio Drive, Port Area
Manila 1018, Philippines
Email: prc@redcross.org.ph


Help need not be in form of cash. I have always believed that prayer can move mountains. Let's pray for them, let's pray for the Philippines. Because together, we can stand again. Together, we can have a simple but joyous and hopeful Christmas. With the resilient spirits inside us Filipinos, no storm can withstand the strength we have.